


it's a small world (are you surprised?)

by orphan_account



Series: Snips [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26055088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Disney World," Brown says, eyes bright. Damian recalls having heard the word once or twice during Grayson's unsuccessful attempt to get him to watch a movie about a flying house and a female bird named Kevin.
Series: Snips [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891387
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	it's a small world (are you surprised?)

In truth, it starts with Brown winning some sort of lottery at her school and showing off tickets to some infernal theme park post-patrol. They are all in the first floor of the manor on a hot, muggy, summer night. Cain is still in Hong Kong, but she is returning to Gotham next week. Damian appreciates her, but he is _not excited about it,_ no matter how much Grayson insists he is. 

" _Disney World,_ " Brown says, eyes bright. Damian recalls having heard the word once or twice during Grayson's unsuccessful attempt to get him to watch some movie about a flying house and a female bird named Kevin.

Grayson apparently holds Disney World in high esteem, as evidenced by his reciprocating grin, and Drake nods in approval. "The lines are long, but when I was there, I found a shortcut-" 

"Wait," Grayson cuts in, probably irritating the stitches he got two hours ago. Damian resists the urge to roll his eyes, but a sliver of worry makes its way in. "You went there, Tim - when?" 

Drake shrugs, "I was like, six, Dick, it's not - " 

"And the boy genius strikes again," Todd rambles sarcastically. "Jesus fuck, did you find Walt's cryo-frozen body too?" 

He pokes Drake, but he's grinning. Drake swats his hand, but he offers up a wan smile in return. Brown has wrinkled her nose and Grayson says, scandalized, "Jay, what the hell? Don't traumatize me!" 

Todd rolls his eyes, muttering, "Batman, everyone," and Drake says, "You're twenty six, Dick."

Grayson is already huffing in that way that means that he is not actually annoyed. Then, he starts smiling again and Damian sinks back into the chair. Friends is playing on the televison, if the mechanical laughter every thirty seconds and that jaunty, jarring theme song is anything to go by. Damian hates that he knows what it is, but there's nothing else to do and Grayson insists on them all staying or _consequences._ Damian, when he had first arrived, would have scoffed at that. Damian, now, knows better.

Grayson has started a conversation about ranking Disney films, to which everyone offers up excited answers. Damian will not participate in this. He will _not._

At least once a week, Grayson insists on a post-patrol hangout for whoever is available. The first time had led to Grayson being banned from the kitchen and Drake and Todd in hysterics. The second time, Gordon had tried to set up a movie night, leading to an argument which quickly devolved into a game of Truth and Dare. Damian had refused to participate in it, but the pictures he took are worth it. Most times, nothing of importance is ever discussed. Damian finds the whole thing ridiculous and completely unnecessary. 

He is in the middle of watching one of the characters ambush her friend with a turkey on her head _(he really should not be paying this much attention)_ when a voice cuts in - "- you up for it, Damian?" 

It's Brown, who is suddenly maybe two inches from his face. Damian has the instinct to snipe, but Grayson would be disappointed. Grayson's disappointment is not something anyone wants to be at the receiving end of.

"Well," Todd cuts in. "I dunno, since the demon never had a _proper_ childhood, this could be a way to get him up to speed." There was a time where Damian would have lashed out, months ago, but he won't fight him on this, not anymore. Though there is a part lodged deep inside him that misses his childhood home in a twisted way, Grayson, Todd, Gordon, Brown, Cain, and Drake (?) have made it clear that no child should have had to go through his training. Damian is still not sure of the whole thing, but he sinks down in his chair, avoiding Brown's green eyes. 

"Ok, then," Brown says, smiling. "It's settled then, Boy Wonder." 

This snaps Damian out and he turns to face her, eyes wide. "What do you intend to _do,_ Brown?"

"Since we're all busy and Steph has an extra ticket, D," Drake says from across the room, hand deep in a popcorn bowl he is sharing with Grayson. "You're going to Disney World, apparently."

Grayson cheerfully adds, "It'll be awesome - maybe you can -"

Damian's insides have frozen to ice and everyone's words have slowed to a hum. What idiocy have they wrapped themselves in _now?_ Disney World? Damian has been trained as an assassin since he was two - he will not enjoy _Disney World._ And what about patrol? And Robin - 

"I refuse to go to some place about a talking mouse," he yells, but no one seems upset. If anything, Todd is smirking and Drake is trying not to laugh. Damian _hates_ it. "Grayson, I don't know why you are condoning this - Batman needs Robin, so -"

"It's not just you," Grayson says, eyes wide and soft. "I've got Jay, Tim, Alfred, and Babs." His grin becomes bigger, somehow. "Nice to know you care, Dami."

In the end, plane tickets are bought and Damian is dragged into it, vaguely annoyed and really pissed at the whole thing. Brown decides to mention at the last minute that Cain is showing up, which is... better than Damian was expecting. He tolerates Cain - likes her, he supposes. Pennyworth makes a comment about vacations not happening enough when he finds out. Damian finds his own bags packed an hour later. 

It's only when the day of the flight to Florida comes, with Brown yelling, "What is time is it? Summertime!", Todd talking about vomiting after the Tower of Terror, Grayson insisting on pictures, and Drake offering advice about overpriced food _(why?),_ that it hits Damian like a rock. This is happening. 

_This is happening._

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: this was supposed to be part of something where damian starts bonding with each of his siblings after bruce "died", but i wrote this with the idea that bruce was actually dead, so this maybe take place...later on? this chapter was gonna be about steph and cass taking dames to disney because the idea sorta lodged itself in my head. as always, comments are lovely, and thank you for reading my weird crap (also i've resorting to lowercase...yippee. someday, i will return to capitals in the author's notes lol)


End file.
